A special exhibition is launching today in memory of four murdered members of the same family.

Smile opens at Newcastle’s Biscuit Factory to honour the lives of amateur photographer Yemi Sobo, his sister Olafunke, known as Liz, and her two children Steven and Abigail.

They were stabbed to death inside the family home, on Hawthorn Gardens, Kenton, Newcastle, last November.

The bodies of Yemi, 41, and Liz, 36, were found downstairs and Archibald First School pupil Steven, five, and Gosforth Central Middle student Abigail, 12, were found dead in their beds.

The Chronicle joined Yemi and Liz’s mother Tunde, 74, for an exclusive sneak preview of the exhibition, which is a collection of snaps taken by, and of, the family over the years. She said: “My first impression of it when I walked in was shock. It was a nice surprise and I didn’t expect it would be as good as this.”

Smile runs at the Biscuit Factory for one week and is in three parts. The first is a profile of Yemi, with a separate part in memory of Liz and the children.

The second section will show work he was commissioned to do for clients, and the third will be a private cinema room, where people can view work he did over a 25-year period. Snaps on show range from childhood pictures of Yemi and Liz, to images taken by their friends over the years.

The exhibition has been organised by one of Yemi’s old friends Nick Bradley, who enlisted the help of close pals. Tunde said: “I’m really grateful for all the effort that has been put into this, especially by Nick who has organised it. He has been a shoulder for me and a good help.

“Some of the pictures I have seen before but some I haven’t and some I haven’t seen for ages. I have seen some of Yemi’s work before but you never know how good it is until you see it produced like this.”

A trust has been set up in the name of Abigail and Steven to collect #25,000 to give a music prize to a Tyneside youngster every year and to the haematology unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, where Yemi was treated for sickle cell anaemia.

Tunde said: “It is definitely important for me through these kind of things to keep their memories alive. If it generates some money to help other people, it’s even more worthwhile.”